Bridge Strategy Calculator
Model your year-by-year withdrawal plan from retirement to age 90. See exactly how taxable, 401(k), and Roth accounts work together across your bridge years.
| Year | Age | Withdrawal | Account | Taxable | 401(k) | Roth | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2036 | 55 | $60,000 | Taxable | $254,400 | $848,000 | $159,000 | $1,261,400 |
| 2037 | 56 | $61,500 | Taxable | $204,474 | $898,880 | $168,540 | $1,271,894 |
| 2038 | 57 | $63,037 | Taxable | $149,923 | $952,813 | $178,652 | $1,281,388 |
| 2039 | 58 | $64,613 | Taxable | $90,428 | $1,009,982 | $189,372 | $1,289,781 |
| 2040 | 59 | $66,229 | Taxable | $25,651 | $1,070,580 | $200,734 | $1,296,965 |
⚡ Pro See all 31 remaining years Years 60–90 · Full retirement timeline · Bridge Risk Score | |||||||
* This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial planner before making retirement decisions. Returns are not guaranteed; actual results will vary.
How to Use This Calculator
The Bridge Strategy Calculator models how your taxable brokerage, 401(k)/IRA, and Roth accounts work together from your retirement date to your life expectancy. It shows you which account to draw from each year and what your ending balances look like across your full retirement horizon.
During the bridge years — from your retirement age until 59½ — the calculator draws from your taxable brokerage first, leaving your 401(k) untouched to compound. After 59½, it switches to drawing from your 401(k). Social Security income reduces the required portfolio withdrawal after your claimed age.
The Portfolio Status indicator tells you whether your portfolio survives to your life expectancy. If it shows "Depleted," try reducing annual spending, increasing expected return assumptions, or delaying retirement age by a year or two — small changes often have large effects on portfolio longevity.
The Bridge Duration is the number of years between your retirement age and 59½ — the window where account access is most constrained. For someone retiring at 50, that's 9.5 years. For someone retiring at 55, it's 4.5 years. The taxable brokerage balance needs to cover this gap.
Common Scenarios
Retiring at 55 with $1M: A common FIRE milestone. With $300K taxable, $600K in 401(k), and $100K Roth at $50K spending, most portfolios remain solvent to age 90 at a 6% return. The 4.5-year bridge is manageable if taxable covers the gap.
Retiring at 50 with limited taxable: If most savings are in a 401(k), the 9.5-year bridge before 59½ creates a funding gap. In this case, consider modeling a 72(t) SEPP structure as a supplement.
High spending scenario: At $80K+ annual spending, most $1M portfolios show depletion risk by age 80-85. The fix is usually a combination of reducing early spending, delaying Social Security to 70, or building a larger taxable brokerage before retiring.